I'd Only Want The Highlighted Vehicles From The List

Sweet Christmas: Get a Load of This $2.3 Million BMW Dream Car Sale 

For sale: “The Collection of BMW Legends,” 13 classic BMWs that are each pretty special and noteworthy in their own way. They’ve each been restored to near-new quality, EAG claims, and are up for grabs as a group for $2.3 million. 


Here is the list of what’s up for grabs:

• 1981 BMW M1
• 1990 BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution
• 1995 BMW E36 M3 Lightweight
• 2005 BMW E46 M3 Competition Package
• 2013 BMW E92 M3 Lime Rock Park Edition
• 1991 BMW Z1
• 2001 BMW Z3 M-Coupe
• 2007 BMW Z4 M-Coupe
• 2003 BMW Z8 Roadster
• 2002 BMW E39 M5
• 1988 BMW E24 M6
• 1988 BMW E28 M5
• 2011 BMW 1M Coupe

(Jalopnik.com)

A Good Question

What FWD Car Did You Always Wish Was RWD?

Editor's answer - Acura Legend

Why?

• Available as a coupe & sedan
• 4 & 6 cyl engine options
• See BMW 3 series/M3 & Lexus SC & GS popularity for comparison

(Jalopnik.com)

This Is A Very Tough Question To Answer

IF You Were To Select ONE Brand For Your DREAM Garage, Which Marque Would It Be?

The question, this time: if you had to drive cars made by only one manufacturer for the rest of time, which company would it be?

The rules: you’d have access to any single car maker’s whole back catalogue, any time you wanted. Fuelled, working, free. Opening your garage door would be like stepping into a particular brand’s museum. You’ve got the life you have now, but pick the car you want to drive that day, and off you go . . . . .

(AutoSpies.com)

Editor's answer: Chevrolet

I'd daily drive a Cruz, and I'd be able to tow the show/race car (Camaro or Corvette) around with my Silverado.

Daily Or Race Car? It's A Tough Decision

6 best cars for $5,000 

Looking for a good used car on a budget? We've got you covered. 

1. 2004-2006 Subaru WRX
The Subaru Impreza WRX offers a lot of what you might want in a vehicle. A 2L turbocharged engine gives 227 horsepower and it gets 27 mpg on the highway.

3. 1990-1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata
A car that's praised for rewarding the driver. The shifter is sublime, and the controls are light and accurate. The 1.6-liter engine that makes 115 horsepower or a 1.8-liter that makes 128 horsepower are our preferred versions.

5. 1987-2006 Jeep Wrangler
Yes, it's possible to get a well-loved Jeep Wrangler with about 100,000 miles on the odometer. In many ways, a Wrangler is perfect for the snowy winters with its unrivaled 4x4 capability. An SUV, convertible and icon, all in one? What more could you ask for?

(AutoBlog.com)

'Merican Made In Ownership Rights Only?

20 cars built in unexpected places

 
Ford EcoSport - India

• Ford's smallest crossover is produced in India, which makes it the first car sold in the United States to be built in that country.

Cadillac CT6 Hybrid - China

• While the gas-only Cadillac CT6 is made in Detroit, the plug-in hybrid version is produced in China.

Ford Transit Connect - Spain

• The original Transit Connect was built in Turkey. The current one is built in Spain, making it quite the pan-European nameplate.

Dodge Challenger - Canada

• Yep, one of the brashest, V8-packing, tire-smoking, unapologetically American cars is actually built in Canada. Including the Hellcat. And the Demon, during its production run. The Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, too.

Complete list (AutoBlog.com)

Did You Know - Grease, The Movie Edition

33 Facts About "Grease" That Might Just Blow Your Mind

"We'll always be together. Wha oooh, yeah!"

9. Lucille Ball's daughter Lucie Arnaz was originally up for the role of Rizzo, but was later dropped from consideration after her mom told producers this: “I used to own that studio; my daughter’s not doing a screen test!”

28. Believe it or not, the word "grease" is never said in the film, only "greased."

Complete list (BuzzFeed.com)

Did You Know - Mercedes Benz 600 Edition

Ten Little-Known Facts About the Mercedes-Benz 600 

Historically owned by royalty, it has windows that will take your arm off, if you're not careful. 

3. A window can take your arm off. The window switch, which makes it possible to take your arm off, costs $11,200.

The 600's windows are operated by a variable-rate switch—essentially a pressure-sensitive valve body that lives in the door and routes fluid to the window regulators.

When lowering the window, this switch acts in a simple on-off fashion; push it, the window moves at one speed. When raising the window, however, the switch offers a variable rate—pressing it gently creeps the glass up, but nailing it slams the window shut fast enough to slice off a body part. You can hear it whunk into the door. It sounds like a cleaver pounding into a chopping block.

For some ungodly reason, this switch, which also operates all four windows from the driver's side, currently retails for $11,200 from Mercedes-Benz. Fortunately, it can be repaired for a more reasonable price. The suspension-height switch—the cockpit valve that adjusts the 600's ride height—goes for a more manageable $1400.

Complete list (Road&Track.com)

Did You Know - Professional Bull Riders Edition

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bulls of PBR

1. The American Bucking Bull is a specific breed

Bred specifically to compete, the bulls that compete in the PBR are products of an elite breeding program that breed for genetically superior bucking. A recognized breed of cattle, thanks to the PBR and the ABBI (American Bucking Bull, Inc.), there are 200,000+ animals alive with bucking bull genetics. Their lineage, like racing horses, can be traced a long way.

3. They have only one ride the entire event

One and done, bucking bulls have only one ride the entire night.

7. They eat like kings

Bulls are fed 15 pounds of high quality hay every day, and often times get B-12 complex vitamin shots and nutritional supplements to keep them healthy, happy and at the top of their game. The handlers make sure the bulls are hydrated, well fed and happy before any event.

Complete list (Arlington.org)

This Made Me LOL

Worst Foursome in Golf History

1. STORMY DANIELS
2. O. J. SIMPSON
3. TED KENNEDY
4. BILL CLINTON

WHY? YOU ASK

1. STORMY IS A HOOKER.
2. O. J. IS A SLICER.
3. TED CAN’T DRIVE OVER WATER.
4. BILL CAN’T REMEMBER WHICH HOLE HE PLAYED LAST.

(Bits&Pieces.us)

Did You Know - Ikea Edition

18 Weirdly Interesting Things You Didn't Know About Ikea 

Did you know "Ikea" is an acronym? 

2. Ikea is an acronym! It stands for Ingvar Kamprad (the name of the founder), Elmtaryd (the name of the farm where he grew up), and Agunnaryd (the name of his hometown). 

13. There's an Ikea hotel in Älmhult. You can even stay in a room with bunk beds. 

18. There's a reason why there are no written instructions on the manuals – it's because it's cheaper to produce thin booklets. 

Complete list (BuzzFeed.com)

 

 

Some Great Times From Back In The Day

More here (CavemanCircus.com)

I'd Daily The SS & Track The STi

These Are The Best Performance Cars On A $50,000 Budget

Subaru WRX STI $36,095

The WRX STI is not a refined and luxurious sedan. It does not offer a soft suspension setup to absorb road irregularities. What it does offer is Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, a 305-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter boxer engine and the kind of handling prowess that will have you hounding supercars up a mountain pass. At $36,095 it undercuts just about all of its natural rivals and is available solely with a 6-speed manual transmission.

 

Chevrolet SS Sedan $46,625

The Chevy SS is no more. This big and brash V8 sedan was a characterful alternative to the anodyne and all too straight-laced modern turbocharged sedan and it will be sorely missed. The big and booming 415-hp 6.2-liter LS3 V8 gave it proper pace with 60 mph taking only 4.7 seconds and you could even have it with a 6-speed manual transmission. It wasn’t all old-school either, magnetic selective ride control and powerful Brembo brakes were standard fitment, a bit of good news is that they are still listed on Chevrolet’s website which may mean that there are a few SS sedans still waiting for a new home.

Complete list (CarBuzz.com)

Sorry, But The E30 Should Not Be On This List

I Need A Cheap Winter Beater That Won't Leave Me Stranded! What Car Should I Buy?

Quick Facts:

Budget: up to $10,000

Daily Driver: During the winter months

Location: Portland, Oregon

Wants: AWD, safe, reliable, affordable

Doesn’t want: A beater that is about to fall apart

Expert 1: Tom McParland - Get A Value By Being Different

You need a Suzuki SX4. Suzuki wasn’t super successful as an automaker in the U.S. toward the end of its run, but that doesn’t mean they made bad cars. The SX4 was a spunky hatchback/crossover available with all-wheel-drive and a pretty durable little package. They are reliable, fuel efficient, and pretty darn fun to drive.

Due to Suzuki’s limited sales numbers, these are not easy to find, but I did locate what looks like a super clean example with 132,000 for only $5400. Don’t get too caught up in the mileage number, maintenance and condition are far more important than what is on the odometer.

Go find yourself a Suzuki winter hoonmobile.

Expert 2: Michael Ballaban – The Old Staple

You said you can’t find a Subaru for under $10,000 with less than 100,000 miles? Feh! Pish posh! And many other profanities besides! The first and second generation Subaru Foresters were great, with a surprising amount of feedback from the controls. They were just honest workhorses that happened to have huge side-view mirrors. Okay, so they weren’t quite an SUV, and were more station-wagon-like, but that’s mostly because Subaru was just ahead of this whole crossover curve thing.

Expert 3: Patrick George – iX Marks The Spot

If you wanna get something different and fun, might I suggest the E30 BMW 325iX? These days AWD variants of luxury sedans are as common as pee smells in New York City, but back in the ‘80s, the iX was a pretty interesting offering in its field. It had legit AWD too, with a locking center and rear differential that could send up to 90 percent of torque to the front or rear axle as needed.

(Jalopnik.com)

Did You Know - Guinness Edition

11 Fascinating Facts About The History Of Guinness Beer You Probably Didn’t Know 


Random Piece of Guinness Trivia #1: 9,000-year lease

Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease for his brewery at St. James Gate back in 1759. That means there are 8,742 years left on the lease (it will be 8,741 years on January 1st). That’s 454,584 WEEKS left on the lease, or 3,190,830 days left. Having lived in NYC for a decade where 1-year leases are the norm, the fact that someone would ever give another individual a 9,000-year lease on a business absolutely blew my mind. If you look closely at that image above you can see the lease’s rider, and that’ll give you an indication of why the lease might’ve been so favorable. All of the equipment included in the lease was basically in complete disrepair.



Random Piece of Guinness Trivia #8: Arthur Guinness was as prolific of a family man as he was a brewer

Get this: Arthur Guinness had TWENTY ONE children, all with the same woman. He lived to the ripe old age of 77 and had 21 kids with wife Olivia Whitmore. I can’t imagine even having one child let alone 21. Just let that sink in for a while.

Complete list (BroBible.com)

The Lies Of Life

(Bits&Pieces.us)

This Is Why The News Profession Disgusts Me

Five Things You Notice When You Quit the News

3) Most current-events-related conversations are just people talking out of their asses 

“Because it helps you participate in everyday conversations!” is a weak but at least meaningful answer to the “What is accomplished” question. But when you quit playing the current events game, and observe others talking about them, you might notice that almost nobody really knows what they’re talking about.

There is an extraordinary gulf between having a functional understanding of an issue, and the cursory glance you get from the news. If you ever come across a water-cooler conversation on a topic you happen to know a lot about, you see right through the emperor’s clothes. It’s kind of hilarious how willing people are to speak boldly on issues they’ve known about for all of three hours.

It feels good to make cutting remarks and take hard stands, even when we’re wrong, and the news gives us perfect fodder for that. The less you know about an issue, the easier it is to make bold proclamations about it, because at newscast-distance it still looks black and white enough that you can feel certain about what needs to happen next.

Maybe the last thing the world needs is another debate on Issue X between two people who learned about it from a newscast—at least if we’re trying to improve relationships between people from different groups.

(Raptitude.com)

Who Knew?

7 Things to Know About ‘Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party’

4) Martha’s Having Fun and Making Friends, Too: Although Stewart does not hang quite as loose as Snoop, she says she still has a blast hanging out with him. “I’m doing a fun show,” Stewart tells the WP. “We’re having interesting guests, we’re doing all sorts of great, I would say funny, things. We’re trying to give people a little bit of information and a lot of enjoyment.” Apparently Martha and Rick Ross became chummy after he appeared on the show. “We’re email pals,” she says.

5) Martha Is Gaining New Fans Because of the Potluck: Some of Stewart’s team members initially thought that signing on for this show was “an odd scenario” for her, but the program has helped grow her fan base. “It brought me a credibility in a broad spectrum of our society that I hadn’t had before,” she told the Times last year.

6) The Potluck Is Getting a Cookbook Companion: But it will probably be a Snoop-only affair. The rapper/media mogul explains: “People were inquiring about those dishes, and how can we do it. I was like, you know, [expletive] it, I’m gonna do a cookbook.”

Complete list (Eater.com)

Did You Know - Chick Fil A Edition

15 Facts About Chick-Fil-A That'll Make You Say, "Whoa, That's Crazy"

5. Only three states don't have a Chick-fil-A: Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont.

Complete list (BuzzFeed.com)

These Are Legit Concerns

13 reasons why we're not ready for our motoring future

2. The world's unpredictable

Maarten Sierhuis, director of the Nissan Research Centre, said: 'Reasoning and learning is not simple. From the raw data, we need to perceive the world and understand the obstacles. It's hard [for a machine] to distinguish a human standing still from a lamppost. Then the system needs to predict what the object will do next and what every other object will do.'

Real-world driving involves quick decision making that would require some extremely sophisticated programming. For instance, going through a red light because you've been waved through by a roadworker or a policeman. 'When you drive, how many times do you break the law in traffic? More often than you think.'

Drawing on his experience working with NASA, he believes that you need to keep humans in the loop, supervised by something like air traffic control.

3. Tech can't stop it raining

When it comes to self-driving, there's no hiding place. Either it works or it doesn't. And sensors don't always work. If your car has a reversing camera, you'll know how its performance is reduced by rain or dirt. And poor weather is no friend of digital radio reception. Daimler's Wilko Stark admits: 'Autonomous cars are highly weather dependent. In snow, it doesn't really work.'

10. It's all hugely expensive

For existing car manufacturers, there's going to be a period when they're simultaneously refining their current line-ups of petrol and diesel cars and developing hybrids and full electric cars.

Some visions of the future would also require a lot of road resurfacing, and the installation of charging points at workplaces, in shopping centre car parks, at filling stations and for domestic use. Expect more toll roads and congestion charges. And in-car advertising will be HUGE once cars can drive themselves.

12. We keep buying stuff

Amazon and other online retailers have increased the number of van journeys: in 2016, up by 3.8% to 78.2 billion miles in the UK. The other great users of white vans – plumbers, plasterers, electricians – are also thriving. In both cases, they need to get to your front door, without delay.

The future isn't just about commuting, shopping and leisure use.

13. Car sharing is easier said than done

The case for car sharing is compelling: most cars stand idle most of the time. But implementing it is far from simple. There are two routes: pairing drivers with passengers – a modern form of hitchhiking – and pairing unused cars with carless drivers.

Complete list (CarMagazine.co.uk)

I Disagree With #1 On This List

The 20 Best TV Spin-off Series of All Time, Ranked 

The best of TV's follow-up shows, from "Angel" to "Xena."

2. “The Simpsons”

•  “The Simpsons”
• Fox

It’s been 30 years since Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie first appeared as interstitials on “The Tracey Ullman Show.” The origins story of “The Simpsons” is now the stuff of legend: “Tracey Ullman” executive producer James L. Brooks recruited Matt Groening to turn his “Life in Hell” comic strip into interstitials; instead, Groening came up with the Simpsons family, based on his own family (and named after most of them). After three seasons on “Tracey Ullman,” a series was attempted — starting with an animated Christmas special in 1989.

Now entering Season 29, the show is close to surpassing “Gunsmoke” (which ended its run with 635 episodes) as the primetime scripted show with the most episodes in history. “I can’t believe how many people who work on the show have been working on the show for as long as they have,” creator Matt Groening said this summer at San Diego Comic-Con. “It’s gratifying to be able to continue to tell stories and come up with new jokes — and repeat some old ones.”

14. “A Different World”

• “A Different World”
• NBC TV/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

Unfortunately, the sexual assault legacy of Bill Cosby now tarnishes both “The Cosby Show” and its spinoff, “A Different World.” But setting that aside, “A Different World” remains a unique and groundbreaking sitcom, set inside a world never before mined in comedy: a fictional historically black college. “A Different World” also tackled issues that “The Cosby Show” didn’t, such as HIV/AIDS and race. The show followed Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) as she moved from New York to Virginia’s Hillman College, where her dormmates included Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), Whitney (Jasmine Guy) and Maggie (Marisa Tomei). Bonet left the show after Season 1 because she was pregnant, while Tomei also departed. Producer Debbie Allen refocused the show around the remaining characters (including fan favorite Dwayne Wayne, played by Kadeem Hardison), while bringing in several new ones, giving the show a much more relevant, culturally significant take. “A Different World” ended its run in 1993 after 145 episodes.

19. “The Facts of Life”

• “The Facts of Life”
• NBC-TV/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have… a “Diff’rent Strokes” spinoff that in some ways surpassed the original. Sure, “Diff’rent Strokes” featured very special moments: Kimberly getting kidnapped, Mr. Drummond losing his memory, Gordon Jump being creepy with Dudley and Kimberly (again!) discover her hair turning green. But things never really evolved on that show. “The Facts of Life” was all about the young women of Eastland School growing up and learning, well, the facts of life. The show’s first season started out too crowded (with original cast members including Molly Ringwald), but by Season 2, the focus had switched to the core quartet: Blair (Lisa Whelchel), Tootie (Kim Fields), Natalie (Mindy Cohn) and Jo (Nancy McKeon). Mrs. Garrett (Charlotte Rae), previously the Drummonds’ housekeeper, was there to share sage wisdom. Eventually the action shifted, as the girls graduated, to Mrs. Garrett’s Peekskill food boutique (and later, novelty store). When Rae departed, Cloris Leachman joined the cast, which also even later included George Clooney. By the time the show ended in 1988, 209 episodes had aired — and those young women had grown up.

Complete list (IndieWire.com)